A great breakfast will boost your concentration and kick start your energy level. Keep your body energized with complex carbohydrates. Foods with high Vitamin B are great producers of energy. The key is to keep a steady level of energy all day with a healthy diet. We are going to discuss when you should eat, and the best foods during what time of day.
Breakfast
Breakfast being the most important meal of the day means you should consume some type of protein. This meal starts your day and proteins give off energy. Try low fat yogurt or cottage cheese. Also, whole grain cereals with low fat milk are a great way to start your day. Spice up your breakfast with some fruit!
Snacks
We all know not everyone is on a three-meal-a-day diet. If you are a "snacker" like me, you want something between meals. Studies have shown that having small meals and small snacks throughout the day is good for you. It is like a fire and you keep adding fuel to it, so it does not burn out. Eating small healthy meals and snacks helps your body use its nutrients more efficiently, and quickens your metabolism. Also you will not be as hungry all the time and you won't overeat when meal time comes around.
A great mid-morning snack would definitely be fruits or vegetables. These are low-in-fat but high-in-fiber choices that give you lots of energy. Another good option would be all-natural peanut butter on wheat crackers. This gives you protein and a steady blood sugar level to keep you energized and full until lunch. After lunch for your mid-afternoon snack, you can try salsa with corn tortilla chips, or dried fruit. Choose something small that will be able to satisfy you until dinner time.
Lunch
Make sure for lunch you do not overeat because it will cause you to feel sleepy. Eating cheese, fish, or lean meats would be your best bet during lunch. This will raise your energy levels in your brain by increasing chemicals called catecholamines.
Dinner
At dinner, remember your food pyramid; 75 percent of your plate should consist of fruits, veggies, and grains. The other 25 percent should be your meats and dairy products. Don't forget about your bedtime snack. Be careful consuming too much before you go to bed as it can effect your quality of sleep. Try grapes, because they have melatonin, which is a sleep aid.
What To Do When You Exercise
If you are going to work out you need to watch what type of meal you eat as well. Never eat a full meal before working out; you will be too full and tired to want to exercise. Meals that are high in fat can make you cramp, so avoid those as well. A half hour prior to exercising, eat protein for power or complex carbs, they digest fast but leave you satisfied. Now that we have determinedwhat you should be eating, its time to move on to the other questions.
Why Are You Eating?
Are you eating because you're hungry, or because you're bored? The leading cause of overeating is boredom. A lot of people also eat because it is there. When you see food, you are more susceptible to eat it. If you feel you need to eat during these times, make sure it's the proper serving and put the rest of the food out of sight. Seeing the food will unconsciously make you want more.
When Are You Eating?
If you have a set schedule you are more likely to eat more than you should. Sometimes your body is not hungry at 12 o'clock when it is on your lunch break, or at 7 o'clock when dinner is ready daily. Eat when you are hungry as this stops overeating. How about at a party? Snacks are everywhere; you mindlessly just pick up everything as you are having a good time.
Remember, eating foods that give you a steady level of energy will help you through your day. Sometimes it is not easy to keep up with these good eating habits, and other times we just feel so lifeless and have no energy.
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